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The city’s correction commissioner is fighting to keep union boss Norman Seabrook in power — because the labor boss is so distracted by a federal corruption investigation, he has no time to ­advocate for his members, according to a union challenger.

Correction Officer William Valentin’s lawyer, Phil Seelig, wrote a letter to Commissioner Joseph Ponte claiming the jails boss has intentionally denied Valentin access to campaign at city lockups until after May 18, less than two weeks before ballots are mailed out.

Seelig says Ponte wants to keep Seabrook in place as union boss because Seebrook’s being the target of a probe keeps him from fighting on behalf of city jail guards.

Seelig accused Ponte of being “derelict in his responsibility to take action against Seabrook” and of “blatant inaction concerning this scandal” because he is aware “Seabrook’s preoccupation with avoiding prosecution and conviction has given you the opportunity to continue mistreating correction officers.”

Seelig told The Post that Ponte favors Seabrook because Valentin will be a far more aggressive advocate for correction officers than the beleaguered union head.

A Department of Correction spokeswoman insisted any attempts to regulate Valentin’s access to the city’s jails was tied to existing rules and regulations.

“The [Correction Officers Benevolent Association] by-laws dictate the nomination of candidates and who is allowed on the ballot, at which point DOC follows established departmental policies on the electioneering allowable at pre-specified times and locations. As per the COBA union by-laws, the nominations are announced on May 18,” said the DOC spokeswoman.

Seelig angrily countered: “It is not up to the commissioner or the union to decide when Mr. Valentin should commence his campaign and any order to the contrary should be changed based on Mr. Valentin’s request.”

Seabrook dismissed the letter written on Valentin’s behalf and noted that Seelig formerly headed the union Seabrook now runs.

“This letter isn’t worth responding to. I am busy doing the work that Phil Seelig failed to do when he was president — which is to stand up for our members and their families,” Seabrook said.

Seabrook is facing accusations that Jona Rechnitz, one of two businessmen named in the burgeoning municipal corruption scandal, helped him put a sizable chunk of the union’s assets into the Platinum Partners hedge fund to which Rechnitz has ties.

Seabrook was among the first law-enforcement officials scrutinized by the FBI in a suspected gifts-for-favors scheme involving Rechnitz, Jeremy Reichberg and NYPD brass, sources have told The Post.